


Autodidact - Ghost Gibbs version

by cutsycat



Series: Dictionary.Com Word of the Day Drabbles [1123]
Category: NCIS
Genre: Alternate Universe, Film Professor Tony, Gen, Ghost Drifting, Ghost Gibbs, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-19
Updated: 2018-08-19
Packaged: 2019-06-29 17:09:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15733794
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cutsycat/pseuds/cutsycat
Summary: On a small street on the outskirts of Washington, DC sat an old house. The realtors despaired of selling this house for all the neighbors knew that it was haunted by its former resident, Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Until one day, film professor, Anthony DiNozzo enquired about the house.





	Autodidact - Ghost Gibbs version

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TT_Angst_Queen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TT_Angst_Queen/gifts).



> Another dictionary.com word of the day drabble. This time from 05/28/2002 for the word [autodidact](http://www.dictionary.com/wordoftheday/2002/05/28/autodidact).
> 
> autodidact  
> a person who has learned a subject without the benefit of a teacher or formal education; a self-taught person.
> 
> This was requested by TT40_Angst_Queen as part of my 2018 prompt challenge [here](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/cutsycat_NCIS_Prompts_2018/profile). More instructions are below if you wish to sign up. This prompt had many options. I removed the ones that I wasn't filling with this story.
> 
> **Prompt:**
> 
> 7\. Ghost!Gibbs
> 
> **End Prompt**

# 

Autodidact - Ghost Gibbs Version

On a small street on the outskirts of Washington, DC sat an old house. The realtors despaired of selling this house for all the neighbors knew that it was haunted by its former resident, Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Until one day, film professor, Anthony DiNozzo enquired about the house.

The neighbors warned him about the house being haunted like they had all other prospective buyers, but Tony just shrugged and replied, “That’s ok, so am I.”

The neighbors looked at Tony weirdly for that response, but shrugged and left him alone to do whatever he wanted to do. It wasn’t like if he pissed the ghost off that the ghost would bother them. The ghost stayed confined to that single house. 

Or at least it had for the past 20 or so years. Tony toured the house with the realtor and after they were done the realtor waited for the bad news that Tony wasn’t going to buy the house. The realtor went slack jawed in shock when Tony informed him that he would take the house for it’s asking price. 

Not about to look a gift horse in the mouth, the realtor quickly set about getting all the paperwork filled out and signed to turn over ownership of the house. After every single piece of paper was signed and every t was dotted and the house was officially Tony’s, the realtor couldn’t help asking, “Doesn’t the house being haunted bother you?”

Tony shook his head, “Nope. I already have too many ghosts living in my head. Another one won’t be a big deal in the slightest.”

The realtor tilted his head and wrinkled his brow in a confused expression as he stared at Tony, but he was too afraid of the answer to ask anymore questions after that. It wasn’t long before Tony had completely moved in and settled into the new house. He hadn’t seen or felt a ghost when he toured the house and he was curious when he would get to meet this ghost that had chased so many people away from the house. 

You see Tony had grown up with the ability to see ghosts and it had only grown over time. He’d thought that he could go pro football, but he found out otherwise when a ghost distracted him on the field at exactly the wrong time and he suffered a knee injury that ruined his chances at pro football. He’d had to fall back on his last choice and go for film studies when all the others had fallen through, due to his ability to see ghosts making it too dangerous for him to continue.

He did have a degree in film studies, but not one in ghosts. His knowledge of ghosts was completely self taught making him an autodidact. He’d been forced to study ghosts simply to keep them from constantly interfering in his life.

He was pretty sure a couple of ghosts he’d met throughout his life had taken up residence in his brain. It was actually kind of creepy to most people. Tony was used to it, now. 

They’d randomly appear before him whenever they felt like it. He was sure that whatever ghost supposedly haunted this house would do the same eventually. He’d found ghosts everywhere he turned.

Even the TV and movie screens contained ghosts. Most ghosts just needed someone to listen to them before they could move on and would vanish after he’d heard their story. However, there were a few that needed more than that. Currently, two of those were residing with him.

They’d told him their names where Shannon and Kelly Gibbs. Apparently, they were family to the Leroy Jethro Gibbs that supposedly haunted this house. They’d died in a tragic way due to a drug dealer gunning them down before they could testify against him in court.

It wasn’t the way they died that kept them here, though. It was Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Both Shannon and Kelly were absolutely convinced that he would go after the drug dealer, Pedro Hernandez, on his own. 

They’d been searching for him the whole time that they’d been ghosts hoping to prevent him from attempting to kill Pedro Hernandez. Not because they liked Pedro or thought he deserved to live or anything like that. No, it was because they knew that if Gibbs followed through with this action it would haunt him for the rest of his life.

Tony didn’t know what Gibbs’ story was, but he couldn’t help wondering if he had killed Pedro and if it had haunted him for the rest of his life and that’s why he was stuck here haunting this house. Still he wouldn’t find out until Gibbs showed himself. In the meantime, he needed to setup his electronics, so that he could do his online courses from home and only need to go into the classroom for the in person courses.

Of course, the moment he tried to setup anything electronic in the basement, power to the whole house fizzled out. He fixed the power and tried again, but the same thing happened. That’s when he knew that this was a manifestation of the ghost Gibbs’ power. 

Still he couldn’t fix anything if Gibbs wouldn’t talk to him. He fixed the power and setup his office in one of the second floor bedrooms instead. Clearly, the basement was Gibbs’ domain. 

When Tony wasn’t working on his film studies teaching career, he took to haunting the basement hoping that it would convince Gibbs to come out and talk to him. At first, it didn’t seem to have any effect. Shannon had suggested teaching himself how to build a boat might draw Gibbs out. 

Tony wasn’t adverse to learning new things and decided to give it a try. He didn’t expect to be interrupted, by Gibbs practically bellowing in his ear, “How dare you work on my boat? This is my boat get out of my house.”

Tony, bemused, returned to the couch. “Nice to meet you, Gibbs.”

“How do you know my name? You’re not Shannon or Kelly. You shouldn’t be in this house. Get out!” Gibbs roared.

Tony chuckled. “Shannon and Kelly are here with me. I can help you talk to them if you want.”

“No. You’re lying. Shannon and Kelly died.”

“I know, but their ghosts live on and have chosen to communicate with me like you’re doing now.”

“No. This isn’t possible. Shannon and Kelly were angels. They should be in heaven not stuck here on this earth like I am.”

Tony shook his head, softly. “They love you. They were worried about you. They wanted to warn you not to go after Pedro Hernandez.”

“That warning is many years too late.”

“I figured, but I had to pass it along. They had to deliver the warning to you before they could move on to heaven.”

“So they’re gone now?”

“Not yet, but soon. If you have anything to say to them, you should say it now.”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t protect either of you.” Gibbs whispered.

“It’s not your job to protect us, silly.” Shannon replied.

Gibbs froze on hearing her voice again.

“We love you, dad.” Kelly’s sweet voice rang out.

Gibbs reeled. He couldn’t believe they were here. “I love you too, Kelly. Shannon!” Gibbs reached out imploringly, wanting to touch their bodies. 

Even though all 3 of them were ghosts, they weren’t able to touch and Shannon and Kelly floated away, but not without Shannon leaving behind the parting words of, “Be happy, silly. Don’t join us too soon.”

Gibbs wasn’t sure what to make of that command. All 3 of them were dead. Why couldn’t he join them now? 

Tony sighed. He would miss Shannon and Kelly. Their souls had always been bright and that had offered him solace when he needed it. They’d been with him a lot longer than most ghosts and had seen him through some tough times where he faced persecution because of his ability to see ghosts. Most ghosts only added to his feeling of loneliness, but those two had helped decrease it. 

“Did you hear them?”

“Yes.”

“What did Shannon mean?”

“I don’t know, but if you’re not ready to move on to heaven yourself, there must be more that is needed to calm your spirit for the transition.”

“What are you? A ghost whisperer?”

“I’m just a man who can see ghosts and help them achieve things in death that they never achieved in life. I’m just a man who is haunted by his own failings.” Tony never told anyone about his attempts to be a police officer. It was his most private and personal failing. 

“Your own failings haunt you?”

“Most humans are haunted by their failings. Isn’t that why you’re still here? You’re haunted by your inability to protect your girls?”

Gibbs grunted. He didn’t want to admit that this stranger living in his house was right. Before he’d died, he’d been convinced that no one understood him. 

Tony waited for more of a response and when none was forthcoming returned to the kitchen to make himself dinner before going to bed for the day. His dreams were haunted by a blue eyed Marine. He didn’t understand it.

He’d never met this Marine before in his life, why was he dreaming of him? The Marine intrigued him. He seemed so alone and yet he built things for others like he wanted them to be there.

When Tony woke, he wasn’t sure at first if the dream was just a dream or if it was real. A small nightstand had appeared by his bed with a picture of Shannon and Kelly. Or at least, he thought it was Shannon and Kelly.

The picture didn’t match the ghosts he’d seen, but it was close enough that he suspected it’s what they looked like in real life at some point in time. Tony picked up the picture and inspected it before smiling and putting it back down on the nightstand. He didn’t speak to Gibbs again. 

He knew Gibbs would come to him when he was ready and perhaps this time Gibbs would actually appear before him instead of Tony just hearing his voice. He wasn’t sure if Gibbs and Shannon and Kelly could see each other, but while Tony could see Shannon and Kelly, he’d only been able to hear Gibbs. Still he couldn’t put his life on hold for a ghost that was doing who knows what.

He still had classes to teach both online and at the college. He went about his day like normal and had managed to completely put the blue eyed man from his dreams out of his mind by the time he returned home and was ready for bed. That didn’t stop him from dreaming of the blue eyed Marine again, however.

This time the Marine took him out on a boat in his dream. They talked for what seemed like hours in his dreams and he learned a lot about the Marine and his time in Operation Desert Storm and his daughter Kelly and wife Shannon. That’s when Tony realized that the blue eyed Marine was actually Gibbs.

He’d never had a ghost communicate with him through dreams like this before. He wasn’t sure what it meant. The Gibbs in his dreams seemed happy and interested to get to know Tony, completely unlike the Gibbs he’d met in the basement who was angry, grumpy, and generally a real bastard.

Tony was struggling to mesh the two Gibbs together. How was this going to help him free Gibbs to return to his wife and daughter? He still didn’t have any idea why Gibbs remained stuck here. 

Sure, Tony thought that Gibbs felt he failed to protect his wife and daughter, but that wasn’t something that someone could magically resolve so that he could move on. It wasn’t like Tony could go back in time to before his wife and daughter died and help Gibbs to prevent their death. Tony didn’t understand anything about what was going on here.

He only knew that every night when he fell asleep he dreamed of Gibbs. He felt like they were growing closer together, maybe even bonding, but he still didn’t understand what Gibbs wanted from him. Tony started investigating Gibbs’ life after Shannon and Kelly’s death and even before their deaths in his spare time.

He hoped that it would help him find the answers he was looking for. So far it had only given him more questions. Mike Franks talked about Gibbs like he was the best NCIS probie he’d ever had. 

Mike said he would have retired and handed the reins of the MCRT over to Gibbs if Gibbs hadn’t died in his basement after a terrorist shot him. It was clear that Gibbs’ death had hit Mike hard. Tony couldn’t help wondering if there had been more to Gibbs and Mike’s relationship than simple work partners.

He heard Gibbs snort in his mind, but he wasn’t sure what Gibbs was trying to tell him. Jenny, clearly, still loved Gibbs and would have married him if he hadn’t died tragically. Tony felt a not insignificant amount of rage at Jenny’s desire to marry Gibbs.

“You know this would be easier if you would talk to me.”

Gibbs grunted. He wasn’t a man for words. Shannon knew that and it was time Tony figured that out, too.

After researching Gibbs’ life, Tony was still at a complete loss as to what the man had left undone that was preventing him from moving on. Still each night that Tony fell asleep Gibbs appeared in his dreams and took him somewhere new. Sometimes they went fishing, other times they explored Gibbs’ backyard and he talked about the time capsule that Kelly and Maddie had buried in the backyard. 

Every night they did something different and Tony learned something new about Gibbs. He began to look forward to his dreams. Soon his dreams enticed him more than anything in the real world. 

That’s when it happened. Gibbs took him up to a cabin in the woods. Gibbs informed him that it was a cabin he had owned while he was alive.

It was sparsely furnished as seemed to be Gibbs’ preferred decor. Gibbs made up the fire and they settled on a fur rug in front of the fireplace with some hot cocoa that had a dash of bourbon in it. Tony expected that it would be another dream where they spent the night talking. 

He didn’t expect Gibbs to turn to him and kiss him. Tony gasped and stared at Gibbs in shock. “What about your wife?”

“She knew before I did and understood. That’s why she told me to be happy and not join her too soon. I’m meant to be here with you.”

“But.” Tony couldn’t wrap his brain around what was happening right now and when Gibbs kissed him again he didn’t want to. 

Succumbing to Gibbs’ kisses, he returned them as they explored each other’s bodies. They made love that night. Beautiful, sweet, completely unforgettable love. 

Tony wanted to stay in the dream forever, but he had to wake up. It sucked not being able to be with Gibbs’ physically all the time, but Gibbs glared, growled, and generally became a bastard any time Tony made noises about joining him. Tony never felt alone anymore.

Gibbs was always with him. Sometimes they worked together to help out a ghost. Sometimes it was a student of Tony’s that they helped out. One memorable time, Gibbs helped Tony resolve things with his father. 

Oh Tony’s relationship with his father, still wasn’t great, but Tony understood better now why his father had failed him as a father. Gibbs still wanted to tear Senior limb from limb for the way he’d treated Tony as a child when that had come out, but fortunately for Senior Gibbs was still a ghost. Tony had finally forgiven himself for not being able to meet his father’s standards.

He no longer thought of himself as defective or as the person haunted by his failings. Now, he was haunted by a love so true that he knew it would withstand the test of time despite being with a ghost. He was still haunted and he wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.

**Author's Note:**

> I did get a story written for tomorrow, so I have 1 story ready and then I'll completely run out of stories that are written. Muse needs to get her butt in gear. Hopefully muse will write a bunch this weekend. Wish me luck!
> 
> My 2018 Prompt collection is open [here](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/cutsycat_NCIS_Prompts_2018/profile). Just click the sign up link. ;) It will remain open until the beginning of 2019. I'm hoping to complete all the 2018 prompts by the end of 2019. Here's hoping muse cooperates.
> 
> If you are not an ao3 member, you can prompt me [here](http://cutsycat.livejournal.com/50701.html). Please follow the same rules as are listed in the above link. However, because this is a handmade prompt form(that thinks it's a poll), it is considerably more limited than what ao3 provides, so please use the ao3 form if you're an ao3 member. Please note the name option is for a name that I can say this is for so that you know it's for you. Since this is for non ao3 members it won't be true gifts, but you will be mentioned in the notes.
> 
> For any authors that want to chat and/or are looking for a place where they can toss plot ideas around and get input from people, you can come join my discord server that is specifically geared towards writing/encouraging people to write and authors. The invite link is [here](https://discord.gg/HFvwpCq). If you're not an author, but want to chat with me about writing/stories or anything else you are welcome to join. I reserve the right to boot you from my server if all you do is pester me about updates, however. *grin* Really anyone who wants to talk about writing and/or plot ideas for various stories is welcome to join. 
> 
> I've started a new [poll](https://cutsycat.livejournal.com/55450.html) regarding my series and which ones people most want to see continued in place of the Rapprochement series which I have brought to an end for now... 
> 
> Note: The Bishop Entanglement, Crazy Cat Tale, and Pregnant FBI Agent series will be continued no matter what, so you don't need to vote for those. For those who don't have livejournals just leave a comment with your responses. Thanks!
> 
> Also, I'm looking for some writing buddies. Full details are [here](https://cutsycat.livejournal.com/53610.html). It is friends locked, so you'll have to add me as a friend on lj before you can read it.
> 
> Also, Drakonyashka has translated a couple of my works into Russian. [Tutelage](http://archiveofourown.org/works/12378780) and [Imbue](http://archiveofourown.org/works/12378840). Go support them. 


End file.
